Rules of the game change again for subtler anti-terror stance

The new guidance to police to avoid bringing charges in marginal cases represents a stark change from the stance taken by the Government in the wake of the 7/7 attacks in 2005.

At that time, with Tony Blair famously declaring that "the rules of the game have changed" as he unveiled a blitz of legislative proposals to tackle extremists, the emphasis was very much on using the criminal justice system to fight the terrorist threat.

In recent months, though, a more subtle approach has evolved. This is reflected in the advice revealed today — which has been prompted by a recognition that too much recourse to the law can be counter-productive.

Counter-terrorism officials are more concerned to win over "hearts and minds" and defeat the damaging, though mistaken, perception among some Muslims that an entire community is being targeted when radicals are arrested. The hope is that this more nuanced approach will make it easier to isolate the minority who remain a danger, and to reduce the pool of potential terrorist recruits by providing help to those who may have dabbled in extremism but can still be reformed.

None of this means the threat posed by a dedicated hard core is thought to have diminished or that the police will hold back from carrying out pre-emptive arrests when an imminent attack is feared.

If implemented successfully, however, the new strategy could prove a welcome way of reducing the need for such arrests and help to ensure the unhappy divisions which have emerged in parts of British society can be healed.